title: Molecular analysis of fungal diversity associated with three bryophyte species in the Fildes Region, King George Island, maritime Antarctica.
abstract: The fungal communities associated with three bryophytes species (the liverwort Barbilophozia hatcheri, the mosses Chorisodontium aciphyllum and Sanionia uncinata) in the Fildes Region, King George Island, maritime Antarctica, were studied using clone library analysis. Fungal communities showed low diversity; the 680 clones belonged to 93 OTUs. Of these, 78 belonged to the phylum Ascomycota, 13 to the phylum Basidiomycota, 1 to the phylum Zygomycota, and 1 to an unknown phylum. Among the OTUs, the most common orders in the Ascomycota were Helotiales (42 OTUs) and Chaetothyriales (14 OTUs) and the most common orders in the Basidiomycota were Sebacinales (3 OTUs) and Platygloeales (3 OTUs). Most OTUs clustered within clades that contained phylotypes identified from samples in Antarctic or Arctic ecosystems or from bryophytes in other ecosystems. In addition, we found that host-related factor may shape the fungal communities associated with bryophytes in this region. This is the first systematic study of the fungal community in Antarctic bryophytes to be performed using culture-independent method and the results may improve understanding of the endophytic fungal evolution and ecology in the Antarctic ecosystem.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100050, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Hai-Bo
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Xiang
authors.forename: Yu-Qin
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Hong-Yu
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yu-Zhen
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Li-Xun
authors.initials: LX
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Li-Yan
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D000864:Antarctic Regions; D044822:Biodiversity; D044002:Bryophyta / Q000382:microbiology*; D017753:Ecosystem; D005658:Fungi / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005800:Genes, Fungal; D010802:Phylogeny; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D012335:RNA, Ribosomal